Income and Poverty

Shanice Jordan is one of the four million Texans enrolled in an Affordable Care Act health plan. But subsidies that make plans through the federal health insurance marketplace more affordable are set to expire at the end of the year — meaning Jordan and other Texans will premiums that are more than double what they currently pay.

Austin residents shopping the Affordable Care Act marketplace are making difficult decisions about whether the plans that fit their budget can meet their medical needs.

Federal food assistance has started to flow again after the government reopened. But the charitable food system is planning for continued need through the end of the year.

People working to address hunger say the canceled report is a main resource to understand where and how people are experiencing food insecurity across the country.

Lubbock ISD recently announced its campuses will now be offering free breakfast and lunch for all students through the Community Eligibility Provision. Outside of CEP, there are other meal resources for public school students and families.

Nonprofits across the country have been grappling with changes in federal spending and the cuts to departments and grants. As coordinator with other local organizations, Lubbock Area United Way has been updating partners on developments at the state and national level, and advocating for policies suited to West Texas.

Just 7% of homeowners in Texas have flood insurance through the federal government, which runs the biggest flood insurance program in the country. That percentage drops to 2% when you move inland, to areas like Travis and Kerr counties.

The bill is moving quickly through Congress and could reshape life for millions of Texans.

South Plains Community Action Association, Inc., or SPCAA, serves approximately 114 counties in Texas, with a focus on assisting in rural communities. It is one of many organizations whose programs are under threat in upcoming federal budget proposals.

Congressional Republicans are on the precipice of approving $290 billion in cuts to the largest low-income anti-hunger program in the nation. People who rely on the program, already pressured by food price surges, are worried they will be going without.